Shadowplay
by Sylinn
Summary: Jane studied and tinkered away, looking to the stars for comfort after a long and harrowing journey. It worked until the strings between dreams and reality are blurred. And a certain Asgardian is doing the string pulling. Lokane.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this Marvel stuff.

**A/N: **This is my first ever Thor fanfiction and I'm really excited about it! It's takes place after Thor:TDW and is going to be filled with angsty Lokane stuff.

**SHADOWPLAY**

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><p>She could feel the boiling venom pumping through her veins. That now familiar burning that only became worse with every beat of her heart. The muscles in her limbs began to spasm in a sickening dance as her blood burned. Her eyes watered and she clenched her teeth as she fought the fire within her body. A scream ripped from her mouth into the inky black that surrounded her. She might die from this, she thought. Could one die from this? No, she needed to fight this, she would not succumb to the likes of this. Her hands clawed at her wrists and at her chest.<p>

'GET. OUT,' she snarled into the black. As if hearing her words her body convulsed once more. The dark started to bleed into her vision and her body burned beyond anything she could have ever imagined. She could feel her mind going numb trying to block everything out, trying to spare her the pain. Then suddenly there was a cool sensation on her temple and her burning cheeks. Not just cold air, but cool hands. It was like an electric shock, the resuscitation she needed and her eyes snapped open. She wrenched her head around to find the source. They had to be there, she needed to see them before it was too late. She needed to know, she needed proof.

A pale hand. A flash of gold.

'Wake up.' A ghost of a voice echoed in her ear. As fast as it had been there, it was gone and she exhaled a deep ragged breath. Cold air rushed in, it felt so good to breathe! The fire within her body began to fade and she shuddered. Jane Foster bolted awake.

The familiar glow of her laptop screen greeted her. That was the fourth time this week she had dreamed of the Aether. Shaky hands rummaged though her papers on her desk to find a slim red book. There was something new this time, a whisper. Jane paused for a moment, what had it said? She wracked her brain. The words had fled from her memory in her rush to find her book.

'And pen, I need a pen too. Come on Jane, before you completely forget.'

Her other hand found the familiar shape in her desk top drawer and she began to scribble in the small book. Jamming in as much detail in the lines as she could before her mind wandered and the dream escaped her memory. Five months marked the time since Svartalfheim. Since Thor. Since the Aether. Jane shivered at the thought and leaned back in her office chair. The clock at the corner of her screen read 1:48 AM.

"Might as well make some coffee," she mumbled as she set down her pen and book. Sleep was out of the question now as she could rarely fall back to sleep after a dream. Navigating in the dark past whirring machines and messy file cabinets, Jane made it to the pathetic looking coffee pot. She slapped a filter and some grounds in the top of the machine and topped it off with a full pot of water from the lab sink and flipped the ON switch. On her way back to her desk she grabbed a large maroon knit sweater Darcy had left in a pile on a chair and slipped it over her head.

'Time to look through the four hours of data I have gathered since I fell asleep,' Jane mused to herself.

She had thrown herself back into her work, the thing that was always familiar and comforting to her. What else was she supposed to do after her space hop with gods and creatures from legend? And for a time it was almost therapeutic for her. Jane worked and tinkered away, looking to the stars for comfort. It worked until the dreams started.

Darcy had suggested a dream log, something that Jane had laughed off at first. What was she supposed to do, take her dreams to an interpreter and then put on psychiatric leave? Freud would have a field day with what went on in her head while she slept! She and Darcy had argued for days about the dream log. A faint smile crossed her face at the memory. They had bickered until the dreams took a slight turn. She began to wake up to the sensation of cold on her cheek like an ice cube on a burn. Then pale fingers or hand against the back of her neck or on her brow. Jane began to cut back on her coffee intake, but the sensations became more and more intense. They were completely beyond any lucid dream she had ever had. And thanks to her wacky sleeping schedule she had had a few. Just one of the perks of being a devoted astrophysicist. And so Jane began to do what she always did. She began to log entries, to collect data. She began to study her dreams.

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><p>Sharp teeth and steel eyes flashed in the dim light.<p>

"Quite the curious creature you are, Jane Foster. I believe it is time I payed you a real visit."

**So there we are! Would love to get some feedback! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Okie dokie! Finally to chapter two! I'm pretty excited because I can really get the ball rolling with this fic. Thank you so much for all of the favorites, follows and reviews!

**SHADOWPLAY**

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><p>"Jane, you look like shit." Darcy wrinkled her nose at Jane. It was now nine-thirty in the morning which meant that the intern was half an hour late. That was according to Jane time anyway, according to Darcy time it was right on time. Jane pouted at Darcy, she knew she didn't look fabulous but she didn't think she looked that terrible. "How much sleep did you even get last night? I can tell you didn't even sleep in a bed. Is that my sweater?"<p>

"Does it matter, Darcy? I was here on time at least." Jane crossed her arms and crossed her legs. 'Good morning to you too, Darc,' she thought to her self in a snide voice. Not exactly how she had wanted to start off the day but at this point it was becoming routine with the two of them.

Darcy took a sip of her giant latte before answering, "A wizard arrives precisely when she means to." She grinned at the groggy looking brunette, and Jane rolled her eyes. "Besides I brought you some yogurt and a muffin! I thought you could use a pick-me-up."

After digging through her giant purse for a moment, Darcy retrieved a small container of Yoplait and a smooshed muffin. "Have another dream?" Jane nodded between nibbles of muffin. "Anything new?"

"A voice this time."

Darcy's eyebrows jumped up and she took a seat next to Jane. "What did it say?"

"It just said: 'wake up'. And I did, and here I am still. I started going through the data we collected last night." Jane sighed and opened the container of yogurt and started to slurp it out of the top.

"Well at least it wasn't a dream where you woke up screaming or flipping tables," Darcy smiled. "Anything pop up on the computers?" Jane shook her head, last night had been uneventful considering things. Darcy patted Jane on the shoulder and stood up, "I'm going to go check my email, you should go home and take a nap or at least take a damn shower. You seriously need one, Jane."

Jane gave a slight nod and finished slurping her yogurt. She definitely needed to go home and take a shower. It had been a few days. Or was it a week since she last took one? She couldn't remember. That wasn't a good sign. Jane stood up and grabbed her messenger bag. Luckily her apartment was just a short ride away by tube. She jammed her laptop and the pile of papers in her bag and tucked the small red book in the front zipper pocket.

Darcy glanced up from her computer from across the room, "Oh hey I need my sweater back!" Jane didn't respond as she started to shuffle out of the room. "Jane? Hey!" The door slammed shut. "Whatever," Darcy opened up her Facebook on her internet browser to check on the day's news.

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><p>Once outside Jane stumbled along the street in a daze. Luckily most people were too busy to pay her any mind, which was fine with her. She managed to autopilot to the Underground station a few blocks away and even boarded the train without missing it. She settled into a seat and slipped her Oyster card back into her bag. In about ten minutes she would be at her stop and close to home. Her thoughts drifted to her shower and she smiled, 'I am so going to take a half an hour long shower when I get home. And then a quick nap.'<p>

Her eyes slid shut and she leaned back, resting her head on the window. The familiar voice chimed and she jumped up and scrambled for the door. Spurred on by the anticipation of a hot shower and comfortable bed, Jane made it the last few blocks home.

Jane immediately dumped her bag on the sofa and began stripping off her old clothes on the way to the shower. Who cared about a mess, right now all that mattered was feeling clean and the feeling of her pillow on her face. After a record breaking long shower, Jane slipped into her extra large Bananarama t-shirt. The shirt was quite the relic, faded and thread thin, but it served as a good comfort blanket for her. And that's all she wanted right now, to be able to take a thousand year nap and be comfortable doing it. She didn't even remember making it in to bed, but Jane couldn't care less. Her eyes slid shut and she exhaled a deep sigh.

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><p>Darkness. Again. Jane spun around frantically. 'No. Not again." She could feel her pluse accelerating. "Breathe, Jane. Breathe." She forced herself to exhale, then draw in a long, deep breath. Jane forced herself to be calm, forced herself to analyze. This was different, but how? She bit her lip and spun around again. The pain, she realized. Her mouth popped open in a silent 'O' shape. Maybe she could force herself to wake up this time, maybe she could take control. Jane clenched her fists and concentrated.<p>

"Wake up, wake up, wake up," she muttered with her eyes screwed shut. When she opened them she would be in her bed. She could get up and make herself a sandwich or some soup and call Darcy. When she was awake everything would be better, she would have won. Jane slowly opened her eyes.

Darkness.

"Oh, FUCK," She swore. "Just let me wake up!" Her pulse began to rise again, she was on the verge of panic. "Wake up, Jane!" She screamed into the dark, but still nothing. How would she get out? Could she? Jane's mind raced, she could do this. She would.

"Are you quite finished?" A masculine voice rang out.

Jane froze for a half a second before spinning on her heel. "Who's there?" Her voice warbled, from the adrenaline and the screaming. She could have sworn she heard a chuckle, Jane shivered.

"Oh come now, do you not recognize your savior when you hear them?" The voice had a feral edge to it and a small part at the back of her mind prickled.

She chewed her lip, "Savior?" Her mind flew, this was familiar. This was the voice, the cool touch. This was what, or who, was responsible for saving her from the pain of the Aether.

"You are better than that, Jane Foster," the voice said her name with a silky tone. "Just, think." Another deep chuckle. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She had definitely walked into the lions den. Jane took a step back from the voice, just in case, and then it hit her. The voice. There was no way.

Her eyes went wide. "How," was all she could gasp out.

"I'm still waiting, Foster. Say my name." The voice was in here ear now, hot breath on her shoulder.

"Loki."

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><p>Jane bolted awake, almost knocking a pillow into her nightstand. Her eyes flew around her room. Pile of clothes on the floor. Check. Messy desk. Check. Constellation charts and maps on the walls. Check. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, she was sweaty. Jane lurched out of bed and ran to the living room, she needed her log.<p>

What the hell was that. She must be sleep deprived to be dreaming about Thor's brother. Jane tore her journal and a pen out of her bag, flopped on the sofa and began to scratch away.

It only took a few minutes to write down everything. It was a short dream. Jane slammed the cover of her journal shut and looked at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen. She could see the small green numbers from the living room.

"Oh my god, it's almost six 'o clock!" She had been asleep for almost eight hours. So much for a short nap. Jane groaned, she needed to call Darcy and get an update on the day, not that Darcy would have much to say. Jane knew that her intern had more than likely spent the entire day playing Candy Crush on her phone and surfing Twitter. Now she just needed to find where her phone was. Jane got up off the couch and stretched while her mind drifted back to her dream. It was odd she wasn't able to wake herself up, not until she said his name.

Jane stopped digging through her messenger bag on the floor. "I didn't wake up. He allowed me to leave." Jane bit her lip. Maybe she was grasping at straws, but the feeling deep down in her gut was saying otherwise.

'Since when do you listen to gut instincts?' she tried to reason with herself. 'Since you started having crazy dreams about Thor's brother, Jane.' Groaning at herself, she went back to digging for her phone. After retrieving it from the bottom of her bag (of course) she sent Darcy a quick text message. Now it was time to make some more coffee.

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><p>Loki smirked, the mortal had taken that in stride. He loved when things came together, and they almost always did for him. Soon he could begin the next step involving Jane Foster. She hadn't tried to fight, her curiosity had gotten the better of her in the end. Just what he had expected from her.<p>

"Perfect," he purred. Loki stood from the chair in the large golden room. Odin's private chambers. He waved a hand and the visage of the old man glimmered into place over his form. His dark hair fading to grey, sharp features becoming grizzled. Now he had to get back to business, he had to take care of another small problem. He strode out of the large room, past the ornate decorations, past the over indulgent furniture and out into the hall.

"Notify my son, I wish to see him in the throne room. Immediately." Odin's deep voice rumbled.

The guard to his left bowed, "Yes, All-Father." But Loki turned to his right down the hall towards the throne room not even waiting for the reply.

His face broke into a toothy smile. "Perfect."

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><p>Jane sat on her sofa, cup of warm coffee in her hand. She fiddled with the pen in her hand. She had a habit of clicking the top of her pen over and over, something that had made her some what of a nuisance in her classes through out school. Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was a message from Darcy saying that she would be over in a about fifteen minutes. "Good, I need someone to get my mind off of things," Jane took a drink of her coffee. The caffeine was making its way through her system, she could feel her body beginning to perk up. She took another drink. "I need to get dressed." This baggy t-shirt wasn't going to cut it.<p>

In typical Darcy style she was late. Not terribly late, but instead of showing up at Jane's in the fifteen minutes promised, it was close to a half an hour later. But the tardiness was immediately forgiven when the scent of curry wafted into Jane's apartment. 'At this rate, I'm going to gain fifty pounds just from Darcy feeding me.'

"Hey dude, how are you feeling? You still look like crap."

Jane sighed, "Thanks Darcy, I appreciate it. I feel better." Darcy grinned as she stepped inside the doorway and handed Jane the brown paper bag filled with curry takeout. Jane walked back to the sofa, digging through the bag on her way. "So anything happen at the lab? New readings?"

Darcy shook her head as she peeled of her hat and scarf. They were damp from the fog that had settled over the streets of London. "Nah, nothing happened. Erik sent me an email, something about going pants shopping today, but that was it."

Jane chuckled, the old Erik was slowly resurfacing. "Well thank God," answered Jane. "Hopefully this is the end of pants free work sessions with him." They laughed, both had endured several months of Erik in various states of undress. And just in the last month or so he had begun to realize that clothes weren't such a terrible thing to wear. Darcy plopped down on the sofa and flung her feet up on the coffee table. Her eyes darted down to the small red book on the corner of the table next to Jane's knee.

"Another dream, eh? Wanna talk about it?" Darcy elbowed Jane in the arm. "Come on, you know you wanna!" Jane sighed, she knew she had forgotten something. Unfortunately for Jane, Darcy could be just as curious about things as she was. And unfortunately for Jane, those things weren't wormholes and quantum physics. For Darcy it was Facebook and the latest pop culture trend.

"So help me, Darcy..." Jane groaned.

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><p><strong>AN:** Alrighty, love to hear some feedback! Thanks guys!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Okay here is chapter three! Sorry this took so long to get out but things were pretty distracting with Thanksgiving and getting Christmas shopping done! It's a bit shorter because I just wanted to get it out for you guys. Enjoy!

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><p>Jane knew she shouldn't have told Darcy anything. Why couldn't she have remembered to at least stick her log under some of the papers that cluttered her coffee table? Or sit on it, maybe even stuff it in the couch cushion. Jane rubbed her temple while Darcy jabbered away about aliens with daddy issues and the prospect of Jane going banana balls. There was no way she was going 'banana balls', Jane assured herself. Even though the same space alien had forced his way into Erik's brain and had caused him to go 'banana balls'. Crap, Jane hadn't considered that. Jane wrinkled her nose at the thought.<p>

"Jane are you even listening to me?" Darcy had finally calmed down and remembered to breathe.

Jane nodded, "Yeah Darcy. I'm fine! It's probably just my brain going crazy from not sleeping right." She fiddled with the edge of the maroon sweater she had liberated from Darcy at the lab. Darcy gave her a skeptical look.

"You're a terrible liar Jane. What are you going to do about it?" Darcy's face softened a little. "I'm just worried about you, because if it is Loki harassing you from the great beyond...well you know what he did to Erik."

"I will be okay Darc," Jane gave her a small smile. "I've had a little practice dealing with Asgardians. But we should keep this quiet, I don't want Erik to hear about this."

Darcy snorted a little trying not to laugh, "I don't want it to go back to Erik running around the lab naked." Jane wouldn't miss that either, and neither would the University. "Plus we don't want SHIELD all up in our business and stealing my iPod again."

Jane huffed and got up from the sofa. She collected the small styrofoam containers her curry had been in and headed to the kitchen to the trash can. "Especially that. So please Darcy, keep your mouth shut about this." Jane didn't want to risk the agency ransacking her new lab. Or worse, interrogating her about Loki. The thought of a government interrogation sent chills down her spine. If they were willing to ruin her life's work without a second thought, imagine what they would do with her. Her throat went dry, or what they would do to her. She decided she didn't want to entertain that particular thought.

Darcy pressed her lips together and pulled an invisible zipper across them. "Your secret is safe with me boss lady," she stood up and jammed her hat on her head. "I've gotta jet though Jane, intern is buying me dinner tonight. A proper English meal of fish and chips!" She laughed as she finished her sentence with a poor Cockney accent. Jane couldn't help but smile just a little. Darcy flashed a bright smile back as she wrapped her scarf around her neck.

"Running late are you?"

"Psssh, me? Never!" Darcy turned the worn doorknob, "Text me if you need anything!" And with a forceful slam of the door she was gone.

Jane stood in her silent living room for a moment. Well that went better than she had expected. Darcy hadn't run her ragged with her fast talk, which Jane knew was well meaning but it was exhausting. She glanced at the microwave clock for what seemed like the millionth time today. 9:22 PM. It was nearing normal bed time. Normal before she became an insomniac. She should try getting her sleeping schedule back on track. Maybe make use of the night-time cough syrup she had in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Then she wouldn't have to think about Erik and Darcy, or worry about what was in her little red book. The ache in her bones would be gone.

"And destroy my liver in the process," Jane mumbled. Besides the cough syrup wouldn't guarantee a dreamless night and she hated the taste of cough syrup. And she wouldn't have to look at herself in the mirror. The scientist almost couldn't recognize herself anymore. Dark circles marred her face, her skin was pale and no amount of make up seemed to make it better. Not that Jane was spectacular at applying her concealer, but something on her face should at least look better. She weighed her possible options, night-night juice (as called by Darcy) or more work (the old standard). Jane opted to go over more data instead. She eyeballed the slim laptop on the coffee table. Technically she was able to remotely access her main computer from her laptop, but Jane much preferred the lab to work in. Plus, she decided, the trip back to the University would be a good distraction in itself. Jane began to pack her belongings in her messenger bag and slipped on her calf high boots and a long jacket from a hook by the door. Jane double checked her bag making sure everything she would need at the lab was inside before slipping out the door. The lock gave a small click and she stuck her keys deep down in her jacket pocket. It was going to be a long night.

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><p>November in London was dreary and damp. And at night a nice layer of mist would settle over the dark city streets. Native Londoners didn't give it a second thought, but to Jane it was just shy of being miserable. She had thought after her time in Tromso, Norway she could prepare for any cold weather that came her way. But the damp cold was something she hadn't anticipated. The way the fog and the cold would seep into her bones, to the core of her being. If she could have things her way, Jane would be back in Norway knee deep in snow with a beautiful clear sky above and aurora borealis. Unfortunately for Jane the point of the Convergence was in Greenwich, making London the next best spot to study and gather data. It was nights like tonight that made Jane regret, even if it was just for a moment, coming to London. Darcy had loved the idea of staying in London instead of heading back to Tromso. Jane suspected it was because Darcy always got stuck shoveling snow, a chore charged to her as the resident intern. Snow shoveling was more than likely the reason behind Darcy hiring her own intern.<p>

The small silver set of keys jingled in Jane's hand as she unlocked the lab door. She bumped open the door and flipped the light switch on. The familiar buzz and yellowy glow of florescent lights filled the room as the bulbs began to warm up. First stop was the coffee pot. After getting the coffee started, Jane peeled off her jacket and hung it on a chair near the door before getting settled in at her desk.

"Where to start first," she muttered. Her fingers drummed on the surface of her desk. "Suppose I should run some diagnostic tests." She stood back up and began wandering around her lab grabbing one small gadget after another. It took only a few minutes to collect her various scanners and magnetic field readers. Jane set them down on her desk and looked at the odd menagerie before her. She was still missing one.

Jane frowned, "Where the hell could Darcy and Ian hidden that?" She grumbled about interns and needing chewing them out before sitting back down. She would worry about finding the last one later. If she started looking now the entire lab would be a complete disaster by morning. 'Okay, here we go!' She wiggled her fingers excitedly and grabbed the first contraption. It looked like a large graphing calculator combined with an old cassette recorder. Jane plugged the tool into the USB port on her laptop and opened up her custom made software program to begin her work. The scientist had prided herself on her handcrafted research equipment. Necessity was definitely the mother of invention in her case. Especially when she couldn't secure any backers to fund her research. That was back when she was the laughing stock of the scientific community. It wasn't such an issue nowadays, not with portals opening in the sky and alien invasions. Jane still couldn't bear to scrap her creations even after the investors were starting to trickle in.

A yawn slipped between her fingers. Running her diagnostics program wasn't the most exciting way to be spending her time but she couldn't complain. She had the lab to herself. It was peaceful with just her and her equipment humming. Jane slumped over her desk with her chin in her hand. No wonder she always fell asleep in her lab she thought, the white noise was putting her to sleep.

"I should go make more coffee." But that meant she would have to get up. Besides she had finished off two pots already. 'I may be building up a resistance to caffeine.'

She yawned again, covering her mouth with her free hand. Her eyes drifted to her computer screen. Only twenty-eight percent complete. "Ugh."

Jane closed her eyes and leaned back in her squeaky office chair. Her thoughts drifted from work to her dreams and then to Thor. If only she had a way to contact him she mused. It wasn't like he had a cellphone to call or text although that would be extremely handy. Then they could talk to each other every week or even every day. She giggled at the though of Thor using a small flip phone. That would almost be too adorable. She giggled again and then stopped. Jane mentally shook herself, she wasn't in high school there wasn't any need to pine over a guy that disappeared for years on end. She shouldn't forget that he was completely capable of visiting her too. Besides, what kind of person sits in their lab cackling to themselves? Even if he was busy taking care of the nine realms and saving the day. And those arms... She gave herself another mental shake, she wasn't an Asgardian anyways, there was no way it would even work out.

The scientist wiggled in her chair, "You've gotta accept the reality of the situation, Jane. Be logical." But it would still be nice to have someone to talk to about... Loki. She felt her stomach clench at the thought of the other Asgardian. What would Thor make of her crazy dreams? A groan escaped from her. She was hopeless.

"That's enough of that," she opened her eyes. Time she focused on work or she would give herself a headache. The bright lights made her squint. Forty-five percent complete. She only had to run three more of her instruments through the ringer and everything would be complete. The comforting hum of her lab returned to her ears as she tried to focus on anything but her internal debate.

The hum grew sharper and louder, almost too loud. Jane looked down at her computer, maybe it was nearing completion. The screen still ready forty-five percent and the humming was becoming a steady buzz. She stood up and walked around to the front of her desk trying to pin point what was making the noise. It wasn't completely out of the ordinary for one of her handmade contraptions to start acting up. She was an astrophysicist, not an engineer after all. Jane looked around, the buzz growing louder. It wasn't coming from anything in her lab.

Something wasn't right. The hair on her arms prickled and she shivered.

Jane took a step back, "What the-"

Her voice cut short as her body exploded in searing pain. She doubled over as a familiar burn returned to her veins. The buzzing grew. Every cell, every atom of her being was vibrating. Like electricity was running through her.

'Oh god,' she collapsed to her knees. 'Please, no!' She gasped for air, her small hands clutching at her chest. This was no dream. There was no way it was and Jane knew for certain. This situation was so unbelievable she could have laughed out loud. But her throat seized in pain. In the back of her mind there was a small part of her that was surprised . She had traveled to Asgard. Had seen aliens invade her planet and a portal between worlds ripped open. Nothing surprised the scientist anymore. But this, this was surprising. The worst kind of surprise, a dark and terrible dream come to life. Her small frame shuddered and she fell forward onto the cool floor of the lab. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes and the buzzing was ringing in her ears like a swarm of bees. She needed to stay awake, she couldn't pass out. Darkness crept in around the edges of her vision. If she didn't get up she would lose control.

"No!" With every ounce of resolve she had she tried to force her body up right. But the fire within her body was too much and her muscles revolted. Another scream ripped from her ragged throat as the fire inside of her was on the verge of becoming unbearable. She had to hold on, she just had to. Her hand stretched out across the floor towards her desk, her bag, her phone. If she could just focus, if she could just hold on a second longer. The darkness was over taking her field of vision along with the fire within her. Jane's mind raced, she was losing and she knew it. Her mind raced for any possible solution, for any way to find relief. There was still one chance. One sliver of hope. Even if every fiber of her screamed that it was completely insane. She had no choice. Not anymore. The darkness closed in. The word ghosted over her lips.

"...Loki."

Jane's world went black.

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><p><strong>AN:** Please let me know your thoughts! The feedback is very much appreciated! Next chapter we will see what that bugger Loki has been up to.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Things are really starting up during this chapter! Bit more Loki and lots of our favorite astrophysicist. Enjoy!

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><p>Everything felt perfect.<p>

The warm cocoon that wrapped around her was so soft, she didn't want to open her eyes. Her mind felt fuzzy, like after a long, comfortable nap on a sunny day. She could stay here forever and she wanted to, more than anything. Jane flexed the muscles in her back and rolled on her side, her eyes still closed shut. Her body felt as light and airy as a feather. She must have had a deep sleep last night. It had been far too long since she had stayed like this in bed and it was great. Maybe she would stay here all day, or all week, or even all month. Her mind drifted deeper into the haze. It felt as if someone had wrapped another light blanket around her body. Everything seemed so far away somehow, the sounds, all sense of the room around her. Jane curled up tighter and the haze thickened.

"...Foster."

It was such a small voice and seemed miles away. Jane snuggled deeper. She would ignore whoever was at her door. They could come back later. Right now she wanted to be here more than anything far away from the world.

"..Foster."

The voice seemed a little louder and more annoyed. Darcy would just have to deal with it. Jane closed her eyes even tighter. Her blankets felt nice and toasty.

"Fight."

The voice was in her ear now, a low growl. Jane tried her best to ignore it. The warmth around her body began to feel too much. Her chest seemed a little sweaty. Someone was shaking her shoulder. She knew she should have never given Darcy a set of keys. Her blankets seemed even tighter around her legs. How had she managed to get so tangled up? The skin on her back felt damp with sweat now.

"Foster." She could feel the hot breath on her face. "If you don't do something now, you're going to regret it."

Jane started. Her brown eyes flew open but she saw nothing. Her body was burning up with fever. The warmth of the blankets around her body grew heavier, tighter. She thrashed and tore at them. Down comforter be damned. Her nails clawed, trying to find an opening, and her breath quickened in the heat. She would have a full on panic attack at this rate. Her hands worked faster and sweat began to drip into her eyes, stinging them. Jane reached forward and yanked. Her lungs filled with cool air and she blinked.

The familiar flicker of yellow florescent lights greeted her. She was on the floor, she could feel the cool tile on her cheek. Jane blinked again. She was in her lab laying in the middle of the floor. This was new, she mentally noted as she tried to push her self up to a seated position. The effort made her stomach churn. Her body felt sticky with sweat and she ached down to her bones. Jane threw up on the floor.

Gross. She felt like shit. And looked like shit she figured.

Jane sat in a daze. She reached up with the corner of her sleeve and wiped her mouth. The only words running through her mind now were 'what', 'the', and 'fuck'. And in that order only. She tilted her head up, there was a cool light coming through the far window. The sun must be coming up. All Jane could do was blink. Her body felt like it was tingling, like a million tiny pin pricks across her skin. She felt as if her mind was being pulled on a thin thread, tugging towards the door to her office.

There was a small click to her right. Jane turned her head as the string jerked her in the direction of the noise. Darcy stepped through the doorway, coffee and purse in hand.

The intern gasped and dropped the cup in her hand. Hot coffee splashed all over the grey tile. "Fuck! Jane, you scared the shit out of me!" Jane just stared at her friend, the tugging sensation was even stronger now and everything seemed to swirl. "Jane? Are you okay?" Darcy shut the door and walked towards the scientist.

Jane blinked again, trying to ignore the swirl in her head. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine." The sound of her voice made her cringe a little. Not only did she look gross but she sounded gross to boot. Darcy hooked her hand under Jane's small arm and helped her up.

Darcy frowned at Jane, "You sure, Jane? You threw up." Jane wobbled in her boots. Her legs ached like the time she had decided to take up jogging (that had lasted for a whole two days). Darcy gave her a look that said 'yeah right' and walked over to the coffee pot and grabbed the rest of the napkins. Darcy walked back where Jane had been sick and threw the napkins over the spot making a small gagging noise as she did so. This would be a job for Ian.

Thankful that Darcy had decided to drop the subject, Jane had wobbled back over to the chair at her desk. She plunked down in the seat and turned to her computer. Her body still felt tingly and her brain felt like it was pulsating. Jane rubbed her temples, it felt like her mind was being pulled all over the place.

"Uh, Earth to, Jane."

Jane looked up, "What did you say?"

"I said, do you want any water or juice this morning. I was going to make some since I threw mine all over the room." Darcy gave the coffee on the floor a sad look. Jane shook her head and turned back to her laptop. She attempted to check her email for any updates from Erik or the university, but to her relief there was nothing in her inbox. Her desk was still covered in her scanners and odd sensors. She hadn't finished last night and she didn't care.

"Hey Darcy," Jane said weakly, "I think I'm going to head home." Darcy stopped mopping up her spilled coffee, she was using papers from who knows where, and nodded at Jane. She threw the wadded papers at the trash can, missing her shot, and stood up.

"I'll walk you home. You're being really freaky, Jane. I don't want you getting kidnapped and shipped off to Thailand or something." Darcy grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder while she waited for Jane to respond. Jane nodded, feeling too weird to decline the offer. She stood up and repacked her bag. Darcy waited for her to finish; in silence, to Jane's relief. Jane headed for the door and Darcy followed, flipping the light switch off as she headed out.

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><p>For the third time in the last week Loki was quite pleased. He had sent his oaf of a brother off on another trip across the nine realms in the name of restoration and peace. That was the simple part of the plan, just to keep Thor out of his hair while he concentrated on the more delicate parts. The bothersome element, involving Thor, came together far more smoothly than Loki had anticipated. Thor had taken the orders from his beloved All-Father much better than he had expected. The All-Father had explained that Midgard needed a moment of respite from Asgardian intervention. Their world had suffered a great shock with the discovery that an alien invasion was a possible threat. This meant that all travel between Asgard and Midgard was forbidden until deemed otherwise. Thor had agreed with the vision of Odin, although sadness and anguish read on his face. But that was nothing that couldn't be fixed with a few trips with the Lady Sif to help rebuild and comfort after the Convergence. Loki chuckled to himself. Sif was head over heals for the golden prince and with a push in the right direction Loki could just sit back and wait for the end result. It was so simple it was almost laughable. He had even anticipated Thor announcing he would have Heimdall keep watch over his precious Jane. Something that Loki could circumvent with a few simple glamours and some smooth words in the guise of the All-Father. Besides, with Thor off tramping around the other realms there was no way he would know of any news until things had already come to pass.<p>

A sharp smile crept over his face as he paced in the All-Father's chambers. The well worn leather of his boots rubbed with every step. The little mortal had proved her mettle last night. For having such a frail mortal body she proved to be resilient, although Loki would never admit this out loud. He had hoped that she would be able to bear the pain especially after having the fortitude to harbor the Aether for as long as she had. His steely eyes flashed in the thin light; now she was useful to him. Tonight the real work would begin. Loki paused in front of one of the large fireplaces in the room. A single ember glowed a bright red as it fought to stay alive. Right now he needed to prepare before he made his way to Midgard. This was what he was looking forward to the most. Loki crushed the ember with the bottom of his boot, extinguishing the last bit of light in the hearth. Tonight the game would begin.

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><p>Darcy stood in the doorway of Jane's bedroom. She couldn't decide if she should camp out at Jane's or head back to the lab to keep an eye on things. Her eyes traced Jane's movements as she yanked her boots off her feet and crawled under her blankets. Darcy wasn't much for babysitting her own nephew, much less her best friend who happened to be a barf machine. But Jane was being way weirder than normal. She bit the inside of her cheek as the idea bounced back and forth in her head. Stay, go, stay, go? Make Jane happy with science? Make Jane happy by keeping her hair from getting all pukey?<p>

Jane let out a small sigh, "I'll be okay. I think everything has just caught up with me at once. If you could keep an eye on the lab and hit me up tomorrow with the details when I come in that would be good." Darcy frowned down at her friend. It looked like Jane wasn't acting as weird as she thought.

"Okay, okay. But seriously, if anything happens you call me. You throw up? Call me. Start bleeding to death? Call me. Fall and can't get up? Call me. You got it?" Darcy's finger jabbed the air in a threatening manner. Jane nodded. "I will call you in the morning, Jean-Janey! And don't worry, I will let myself out."

Jane gave her a small smile and a small wave of thanks from the bed. She leaned back and listened as Darcy left her apartment. The click of the door signaling her departure. Laying on the bed eased the ache in her body but her mind still felt like a big tangled mess. The quiet room was helping ease the discomfort and she was able to relax a bit more. At least she didn't feel like she would be sick again. After her body seemed to feel more settled, she began to go over the last twelve hours in her head. Something had happened to her, that much she knew. But exactly what had happened, was a mystery. Her body seemed more tightly wound than before. And her head, that was another story. Jane didn't even know how to begin describing what that was like. She decided she would categorize it as just 'overwhelming' for now. The body aches were the result of the muscle spasms she had the night before. This all stemmed from her insomnia, said the logical side of her brain. But there was just too much coincidence for her to completely believe that. The feeling in her gut gave her just enough doubt that she needed to dig deeper to find the truth. Jane ran down the time line over and over in her head. Looking for anything that could be considered a catalyst or a cause or anything just plain weird. The entire thing was weird. Beyond weird. Her stomach churned again. Most things that Jane tried to analyze were not so personal. Jane's head began to ache and reached up with a finger to rub her temple. She was stuck, something that both irritated her and gave her the boost to keep going. But for now she needed to stop for now or she would make herself sick.

Gingerly, she slid out of the bed. She should find something to nibble on. Jane padded to the kitchen and pulled a slice of bread out of the bread drawer. She paced herself as she ate the thick slice of wheat bread, she didn't want to have to call Darcy again for being sick. A glass of water followed the slice of bread and a small wave of energy swept over her. It felt like her body was tingling.

Jane's stomach gurgled, "Wow, I guess I should eat a bit more." She turned to the refrigerator to collect the ingredients of her favorite sandwich, ham and cheddar. After wolfing down an entire sandwich Jane felt well enough to get some fresh air. Her limbs felt even more rejuvenated after a whole sandwich.

"Need a shower first!" Jane quipped. "Can't go out looking like a complete witch." She bounced towards the bathroom with her new found stamina.

One quick shower and a clean change of clothes later Jane was ready to venture outside. She crossed her fingers and hoped Darcy wouldn't catch wind of this or she would never hear the end of it. Jane slipped back on her boots and her long jacket before grabbing her bag. Through some small stroke of luck, it was still sunny outside. It was a small luxury in this part of the world, and something Jane was eager to take advantage of. She trotted down the flight of stairs to the outside of her building. The warm sun rays felt good on her face and she smiled. This was just what she needed, some fresh air to try and clear her head. Jane wandered to a near by park to sit. Maybe taking a rest would calm the little threads tugging in her head.

The cool wood nipped at her hands as she took a seat. "This feels wonderful," she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She tried to ignore the nagging feeling in her head. She frowned at a curious pigeon that had landed in front of her. "What the heck. This is starting to drive me nuts."

The pigeon bobbed it's head at her. "You just want bread." Jane stood up and swayed on her feet. The pigeon fluttered at her sudden movements. She should get back home in case she blacked out or something. Then she would be in really big trouble with Darcy. Her head continued to become more intense with every step towards home. By the time she had shut her front door, all the threads in her head were pulling so hard in one direction, she thought she would tip over. It felt like her mind was at the center of a spider web. She needed to write this down in her log book. Jane began to dig in her bag when her phone exploded with noise.

Jane jumped and almost tipped over, "Ugh Darcy!" Her ring tone was some loud song with a girl singing about 'that bass'. Only Darcy would have changed her ringtone to something like that. She dug through her purse and found the little black rectangle.

"Uh, hello?" Jane braced herself on the door jam.

Darcy squawked at her on the other end, "I'm coming to get you, our stuff is going nuts over here! See you in ten!" Jane's cellphone beeped as Darcy hung up on her. She blinked at the phone in her hand. Every single piece of equipment? Maybe she had goofed up doing that diagnostic work the night before. She glanced out the window, the sun was already slipping behind the roof tops. Another long night seemed to be ahead of them. Jane took a seat on the sofa to wait for Darcy. The feeling in her head grew.

Darcy showed up on time, the first time in recent memory, Jane thought, and drug the scientist out the door in a hurry. Ian waved a quick hello to Jane as they all sped down the stairs to the ground floor. Jane could almost keep up with everything that Darcy was saying.

"I swear we didn't do anything. Intern was cleaning up the lab because we weren't sure if you had puked anywhere else in there."

"And I was trying my best to not muss things up," Ian cut in.

Darcy's head bobbed in agreement, "And everything started beeping or flashing. I haven't seen this before Jane and I don't want to get fired-"

"Darcy!" Jane had to silence her friend. People were beginning to stare at them on the train. Jane smiled nervously and began to rub her temple. "We will see when we get there. Did you call Erik?"

"I did, but I only got a voice mail. You were closer so Intern and I decided to come and get you." Darcy picked at her red nail polish. She hoped she wouldn't get fired over this, for once it wasn't her just messing with Jane. Nothing she ever planned worked out this great.

Jane shook her head, the pull in her brain was officially giving her a headache. And trying to keep up with Darcy wasn't helping. The train pulled to a halt at their stop and Darcy grabbed her sleeve, dragging her to the stairs that went up to ground level. Ian trailed behind the two ladies with a nervous look on his face. A few minutes later they were walking down the hallway to the lab. Jane could hear the beeping echoing down the quiet corridor.

"I did nothing! I swear!" Darcy whined as Jane opened the lab door and walked in. It was just as Darcy had described. Everything that could sense or read any type of anomaly was going berserk. Jane hurried to her desk and picked up the first device.

She glanced at the screen, "This shouldn't be happening." She tapped the front with her finger nail. Nothing happened. Time for the next best thing. She whacked the gadget on the hard top of her desk and looked at it one more time. There were coordinates blinking in angry red numbers on the glossy screen. Something was familiar about the numbers but with all the beeping Jane couldn't recall where they were from. She picked up the next device with her other hand. The dated screen had a spot pin pointed. Jane set the device down suddenly to keep herself from tipping forward. The pull in her head was almost yanking her forward. She looked at the other devices scattered across the desktop. Something big was about to happen. Her eyes dropped to the coordinates on the screen in her hand. The realization hit her all at once. They were the coordinates for the university. More specifically the coordinates on the green where the Convergence portals had opened.

_Thor_.

Jane gasped, "We have to get outside now!" She shoved past the two interns and began to run down the hall.

It only took a few seconds before Darcy took off after her friend. "Come on Intern!" She yelled back at Ian who was standing in the lab still. "Wait, Jane!"

Darcy's shouts were far behind her and Jane didn't dare stop and wait. The strings grew more taught and Jane's forehead wrinkled as she tried to ignore it. She needed to get down there now or she would miss whatever was about to happen. She could miss Thor. Jane started to run faster, out the double doors, down the steps, across the parking lot. The fuzzy looking texture of the grass was just up ahead. Smooth spots of dirt where the grass had yet to grow back dotted the lawn. Jane stumbled as she ducked under the yellow caution tape that surrounded the lawn. The grass felt lumpy under her shoes and she tipped back and forth before running ahead. She couldn't stop, the pulling at the front of her mind was all but yanking her across the grass. She could feel it. She didn't know what exactly, but she could feel a vibration in her mind and her body. Her feet carried her to the center of the green and she skidded to a halt. Jane threw her head back and looked skyward. Nothing but darkness was above her. Low, thick clouds had rolled in, blocking any view of the stars, and giving the plaza an eerie glow in the lamp post light. Scaffolding covered the face of the buildings that framed the lawn. Pillars were still broken and scarred from the battle that had taken place just a few months ago. Normally she stayed away from the green, not wanting any excuse to run into a SHIELD agent that may be running (or snooping) around. But Jane's eyes fixated on the sky above. Her mind stilled and she blinked. Was this it? She hadn't run all the way out her for nothing had she? Doubt was creeping in and she began to second guess herself. Jane exhaled a deep breath. She was an idiot, of course she had messed up everything last night. Now she had to go back and fix that huge mess that she had created and try not to look like a jerk in front of Darcy and Ian. Jane turned around, ready to head back and find her two friends, when a flash ripped a fissure in the night sky with an ear shattering crack. Something glimmered silver and jetted out of the bright rip. The second the silver shape had left the opening, the crack filled and only the luminous lamp light and cloud cover was left. There was a glint of metal, it was some sort of ribbed craft Jane determined. It rocketed downward to the ground and smashed in an explosion of grass and dirt before grinding to a stop.

Everything was still for what felt like an eternity. Jane let out the breath she was holding and tried to still her trembling hands.

"Jane! Are you okay? What the hell is that!" Darcy's voice echoed across the lawn. Jane didn't answer, she was already walking towards the craft. Her heart felt like it was in her throat and she trembled. As she got closer she realized the craft was in the shape of a boat. Jane's eyes darted over the boat, it had two sail-like fins on each rear corner just like...

Her heart slid from her throat to the pit of her stomach. The threads in her head were back and worse than before. Jane let the thin ribbon tug her forward. She carefully took the last few steps up to the edge of the boat. Her eyes scanned the bottom for blond hair and a familiar red cape. The pulling in her head stopped.

Green and gold. Black hair and a pale and battered face. Jane started. She wasn't looking at Thor. Her mind stalled as it tried to process what she was seeing. She knew this face. This was the monster that had tried to end her world. This was the monster who had broken Thor's heart. This was the specter from her dreams. The monster who had saved her. This was the monster who had sacrificed his life for her on another planet. The memories flooded Jane's mind and she stepped up and over the edge of the flying craft. She crouched down next to the still form and was unsure if she should touch him. After all, this wasn't just any monster.

This was Loki.

The smooth face was battered and bruised, just as she remembered it on Svartalfheim. Not nearly as monstrous or sinister as she recalled. The form before her seemed frail and thin. Jane reached out to the fallen god, trying to feel for a pulse or breath. The skin of his throat was ice cold to the touch. She couldn't find a pulse and her stomach lurched. Her opposite hand cupped over his nose and mouth and after a moment she could feel a small breath on her hand. The warmth was a comforting thing and Jane's stomach jumped again. He wasn't dead. Jane grimaced, now what the hell was she supposed to do? She couldn't just leave him here, and if SHIELD caught wind of this, all her work would be compromised for a second time. So Jane did the only thing she could think of. Her small fingers wrapped around a cold wrist that was splayed at the bottom of the craft and started to pull.

"Darcy!" 

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><p><strong>AN:** This has been my favorite chapter to write so far. :) Please let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ** Sorry about the delay on this folks. Between the holidays and other life stuff I fell behind. But to make it up to you guys you get two chapters this update! Woo!

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><p><strong>SHADOWPLAY<strong>

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><p>Today was not Jane's day. In actuality it hadn't been her week, or even her month. And this was the cherry on top of the cake. If only this cherry wasn't a supposedly dead god that had popped out of a dark corner of space. A cherry would definitely have been better. The whole cake would have been better for that matter. It just had to be this troublemaker. Why couldn't this have been Thor? Jane groaned as she pulled Loki up against the inside of the boat. His head slumped forward down onto his chest. He was easier to move around than she had anticipated. She looked down at the mass of black hair that stared back at her. What was she going to do once she pulled him out of there? She closed her eyes and groaned. She could just turn around and leave him. Right now. Just leave him for SHIELD to find, make him pay for all the death and destruction he had caused. She should leave him, but she couldn't. She owed him that much. Her stomach churned at the thought and she pushed the idea away, down into the back of her mind.<p>

"Jane! Are you okay?" Darcy's voice echoed across the lawn. She had nearly caught up to the scientist. "What the hell is that?"

Jane hooked her hands under each of Loki's arms. "I'm okay! I could use some help!" She pulled and his body began to slip up and over the smooth silver edge. The dead weight in her arms made her sway as his hips reached the lip of the boat. Her knees gave way and she slipped backwards taking the limp Asgardian with her. She let out an oof as his body crashed into hers.

She gasped, "Darcy!" No, this was the cherry on top. Getting squashed underneath Thor's brother was most certainly the cherry.

"Holy crap, Jane! Hold on!" Darcy skidded to a stop next to Jane, Ian hot on her heels. "Who the hell is that!" Her eyes were wide as she looked over the scene. Jane grunted and tried to push the dead weight off her legs and torso.

"Darcy," she groaned as she wriggled her body trying to untangle herself.

Darcy snapped out of her daze and darted to Jane. She grasped at the front of Loki's armor and gave a good tug. "Oh my god, he weighs like a million pounds! Don't just stand there Intern!"

After a few more good wriggles and several tugs from Ian, Jane found herself free. She looked down at the form at her feet. Now they had to get him out of here. And figure out what to do about this ship he rode in on. If she could get it back to the lab she could run all kinds of tests on it. Tear it apart, figure out the mechanics...

"Jane," Darcy interrupted her thoughts. "Please tell me that's not who I think that is."

Jane blinked and then nodded. "Yes, now help me move him out of here. Ian you need to find something to cover that thing up," she pointed at the silver barge.

"What!" Darcy's eyes went wide and she started to sputter. "Jane! We can't keep him! We need to turn him over to SHIELD or the President or throw him in the river! He could wake up and murder you! Or worse murder me! Or get into our brains and turn us into zombies like Erik! Oh my God, Erik, what if he finds out? He will completely go off the deep end-"

"I don't want SHIELD anywhere near this," Jane cutoff her friend's fast paced chatter. "Just please, trust me." She gave Darcy a pleading look trying to look convincing. They could worry about him waking up when the time came. And they had to keep him away from Erik. Her heart sank. Erik would never forgive her for harboring a fugitive, especially this particular fugitive. But Thor wouldn't forgive her if she left his brother after he had reappeared.

You wouldn't forgive yourself. A ghost of a voice whispered in her mind.

Jane looped her hands under Loki's arms and started to lift. "Grab a leg," she motioned with her head. Darcy stared at her friend, her jaw clenched tight. "Please Darcy, trust me."

"You are so lucky that I love space and science and stuff," Darcy slowly shook her head at Jane. "And that I'm your best friend. But I swear if he wakes up and starts freaking out I am calling SHIELD and then the National Guard! Or whatever they have here!" She bent down and grabbed both legs under the knee and hefted. "I don't get paid enough for this crap," she muttered under her breath.

"We don't get paid at all!" Ian quipped from her side. Darcy would have smacked him if her arms were free.

"You heard what Jane said! Go find something to cover this crazy alien pirate ship up!" Ian flinched, his head bobbed up and down quickly. Darcy's wrath wasn't something he especially wanted to evoke right now. He turned and jogged in the direction of the lab. The sound of his footsteps crunched in the distance.

Darcy's eyes darted up to Jane's as soon as Ian was out of earshot. Her face wrinkled with worry. "So what the hell is the plan here, Jane?" Jane bit her lip. She wasn't sure yet.

"Well, first we need to drag..." she paused for a moment. Unsure if she should say his name out loud, almost for fear of him waking at the sound of the word. It was a silly thing to worry about. "Drag him to the steps over behind us. Lean him against a pillar. I just want that thing covered before someone wanders by."

Jane's friend grimaced, "Good point. But in all seriousness Jane, what the fuck?" They both shuffled along across the lawn towards one of the large pillared buildings. Darcy struggled to keep a grip on the limbs in her hands.

"Can we talk about this in a better place? Please, Darc," Jane murmured. She wasn't ready for that conversation just yet. Darcy huffed and adjusted her hands, Loki swayed back and forth.

"Fine."

After several minutes they had made it to the steps of the Grecian style building. Darcy muttered about not moving the giraffe in her hands up the steps. That was, unless she could drop him head first down them. Jane begrudgingly agreed. She found herself rubbing her temples again. The prickling sensation in her brain was beginning to return. With all the excitement she had almost forgotten about that particular annoyance.

"I think I found something!" A male voice echoed across the green. Ian was trotting in their direction, arms full of a big bluish blob. "You have all kinds of stuff in that cabinet in the back corner! I found this huge tarp balled up in the bottom!" He gave the two women a wide smile as he slowed to a stop in front of them. Jane nodded, that would be good enough until they could come up with a better plan. With the lawn roped off and the alien craft covered up it would keep people away for a bit. Darcy slapped Ian on the shoulder. The pair turned to go cover Loki's ride, leaving Jane with her thoughts. She could tell Darcy was not pleased with her. The teeth grinding gave away her friends feelings on the situation. Her eyes fell to the man leaning back on the bottom step. Even now, while unconscious, he was causing ripples of turmoil. How one person could create so much chaos was beyond her.

"Alright, Captain. Now what?" Sarcasm tinted Darcy's voice.

Jane looked up at the two interns. "Now we get him back to my place."

A small part of her was glad that Darcy had stayed, a small part of her just wanted some time alone. Well, as alone as one could be with an alien sleeping in her bed while she was stuck on her lumpy sofa. Between the three of them they managed to get the trickster back to Jane's. Once they had flopped Loki on Jane's bed, Darcy had insisted she stay and keep watch. She was the one with a Taser she had declared loudly. Jane was too exhausted to protest. Ian had volunteered (courtesy of Darcy) to go and keep an eye on things at the university.

Jane yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth. Her body stretched out across the lumpy couch. Darcy sat on the floor with her back against the sofa and Jane's blanket around her. Her beloved Taser sat on the coffee table to her right.

"Alright, time for Lucy to do some 'splainin'. Why the hell did you think bringing him here was a good idea?" Darcy whacked Jane on the leg and gave her an unimpressed look.

The scientist sighed, she had hoped that Darcy would have forgotten about this. Darcy had the memory of an elephant when it came to things that Jane wished to forget. Her head throbbed while she tried to come up with the right words to explain her decision.

She swallowed hard. "I owe him, Darcy." Her voice came out in a horse whisper. Every muscle in her body was tense.

"Owe him how? What could that psychopath have possibly done to make you owe him anything? He has killed people Jane." Darcy's voice was quiet and serious.

Jane was very aware that the person in the next room had murdered people. And that he had tried to take over the world after some crazy vendetta. She had seen first hand just how terrifying and powerful he could be. And she had seen how easily he could cut down Thor with just words. "He saved my life, Darcy." The words felt heavy on her tongue and the weight of them made her feel light headed. Darcy stilled at her feet. It was the first time that Jane had spoken those words out loud.

"How?" Darcy finally spoke. "You never told me." She swiveled her head to look back at Jane.

When things had died down Jane hardly spoke of Loki except to say he had helped with her escape. Instead Jane talked about the way the magnetic fields had interacted with each other. Loki risking his life for her almost seemed like a distant memory. A memory that was now very real.

She swallowed hard. Her throat felt dry. "Thor and Loki had come up with a plan to draw the Aether out of me. When Malekith began to absorb the Aether, Thor tried to destroy...there was an explosion. Loki shielded me with his body." Jane looked down at Darcy. When had her eyes started to water? "It had felt so wonderful to get rid of that burning in my body, I didn't even realize it was him."

"But that wasn't the only time." Darcy nodded and placed a hand on Jane's shin. "He knocked me out of the way to prevent me from getting sucked in... I would be gone if it weren't for him, Darcy." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She had seen what that little grenade-like thing could do. The thought that she could have shared the same fate as the large elf made her blood run cold. And if it wasn't for Loki, she wouldn't be here now.

The fingers on her leg squeezed tighter. "You never told me..." Darcy said in a low voice. "I'm sorry, Jane."

"Do you seen why I couldn't just leave him there?" Her small fingers wiped the tears that had escaped from her eyes. They both fell into silence again; one unsure of what to say next, the other lost in thought.

Sudden movement made Jane jump. Darcy stood up and peeled the worn blanket off her shoulders, throwing it on Jane. "Okay, but if he does anything, I will use this on him!" She reached down to grab the Taser off the table top. "You should get some sleep, Janester."

Darcy flopped down on the opposite end of the sofa. She kicked her shoes off before curling her legs up on the sofa cushion. A deep sigh escaped her lips and she yanked her phone out of her pocket and started playing with it. She was determined to keep watch for the night. The Taser had found a new home on the arm of the couch next to her.

Grateful that the conversation had ended, Jane hunkered down under her own blanket. Tomorrow they would have to figure out what to do about their visitor and his ride. Her head throbbed and the spider thin threads tugged in her mind. Sleep was all she wanted right now. Her eyelids began to droop and she snuggled deeper into the sofa.

Thin grey light filtered through the windows, filling the rooms in a cold light. Morning had finally come. Jane groaned as she sat up on the lumpy sofa. The muscles in her neck were not pleased with a night out in the living room. She squinted at the light that filled her living room. Darcy was slumped at the other end of the sofa covered in the blanket from the night before. Jane untangled herself from her blanket and gently tucked it around Darcy. The skin on her arms pricked at the cold. Coffee and toast were on the menu this morning. She rubbed her arms trying to ward off the cold while she bustled around the kitchen. Darcy snored softly, undisturbed by the clinking from the kitchen. With the coffee bubbling and bread toasting Jane stilled and leaned on the counter.

Loki was in her apartment.

Jane gulped. Her and Darcy were still alive, which was good. She hadn't been wrong about dragging him back to her place. So far. Jane jumped when the toaster went off. She grabbed the two thick slices of bread out of the toaster and lay them on the counter. She needed to check on him, she gulped again. After toast, she decided. And more importantly, after coffee.

The two slices of toast didn't last long. The thick marmalade that she had slathered on each slice had helped them disappear. She stood in her kitchen with a warm cup of coffee between her hands. Her eyes hadn't left the small hallway leading to her room. She was stalling and she knew it. Jane's small hands tightened around her mug. She should get this over with. Before Darcy woke up and that Taser got turned on. The coffee cup clinked as it was set on the counter top.

"Okay, you've got this," Jane inhaled and stood up straight.

The nerves in her stomach were so strong she couldn't tell if it was fear or unease. Or worse, excitement. The floor creaked as she made her way down the short hallway to the bedroom. Her forehead wrinkled as she felt that now familiar tingling in her head. The door swung open and she peered into the dim room. Luckily, last night she had the foresight to draw the curtains on the tiny window in her room. No excuse for anyone to peek in. Loki's dark form stood out on her light floral print comforter. His pale face contrasting with his dark hair that was wild on the pillow. Jane clenched her jaw, trying to regain some resolve and headed into the room. It wasn't just a room, it felt as if she was going into the lions den. She made her way to the bedside lamp and clicked the switch and a warm glow filled the room.

"Foster."

Jane's heart leaped into her throat and she spun around. Steely eyes glinted at her from the bed beside her.

"Loki," she breathed. A wolfish grin split across his face and his eyes glinted more. She suddenly felt like the lamb alone in the pasture. "You're awake. How did you..?"

Loki grunted and pushed himself up. A hand went up to his chest and felt the hole in his armor. Dark flakes of grime and blood loosened at his touch. Was he still injured after all this time? Jane's stomach dropped, he could have bled to death in the night. Her eyes jumped to the spot where he had been laying moments before. There was a dark stain on her blankets, but not the gallons of blood she had imagined. Loki's movements on the bed caught her attention once again. He had never answered her question.

"Why am I here, of all places?" He grunted. Jane frowned, he was as clueless as she was. This was annoying. Uncomfortable even. She didn't like missing puzzle pieces. Especially where Loki was concerned.

"You fell," Jane's throat felt dry. "Out of a rift. I don't know how you are alive...I saw you die..." Her voice trailed off. He shouldn't be alive. "Your chest?"

Jane motioned to the dark blotch on his armor. He turned and she could see the nasty spot where the sword had pierced his chest plate. She couldn't take him to the hospital. SHIELD would pick up on anything out of the ordinary and come swooping in. "We should clean you up. I can't have you bleeding on my blankets anymore than you already have."

Loki's eyebrow twitched. Ah, so he was at her home. In her bed. That was interesting and convenient. A small smirk graced his features. He could play this tedious game all day. "Are you not going to alert the authorities, Foster?"

The last syllable slid between his lips and made her shiver. This was no time to waver she thought. Her jaw clenched and her hands tightened into fists.

"If necessary. Do not give me a reason to, Loki." She turned on her heel and exited in a huff. The nerve of that asshole. It had been two minutes and he was already under her skin and irritating her. She stomped to the bathroom and threw open the medicine cabinet. Her hand hovered over the rubbing alcohol. No, this called for peroxide. She couldn't help but grin. She grabbed the brown bottle, a tube of antiseptic ointment, and a box of gauze. This would teach him to be snotty with her, no matter how petty this revenge was. Jane stomped back to her bed room and tossed everything on the bed. "Now, take off your top so I can have a look."

Loki's smirk grew larger, "If you insist." Long hands reached up and began to undo buckles and clasps. Jane could feel her face getting warm as a blush crept over her cheeks. Her eyes fell to the floor, what a jerk. He was just trying to get a rise out of her and it was almost working. The nerve of him.

The mattress squeaked and she looked up. A pile of black, gold and green sat on the corner of the mattress. Jane's eyes instantly found the dark mark on the pale skin of his chest. It was hard to see past the caked blood and grime. There wasn't anything oozing which was a good sign she thought. Her feet found their way across the room to the edge of the bed. She set the meager medical supplies on the bedside table and leaned in to take a closer look. It took everything not to look at his face. His chest didn't look terrible, but it wasn't exactly great. She definitely needed to clean the gunk off. Her hands moved to the peroxide and gauze. This was the moment she was waiting for. Jane splashed the peroxide on the gauze and carefully reached towards his chest. Her lips twitched at the corners as she tried to force a smile from her face. One, two...

Loki hissed. The hiss turned into a growl. "Woman, what do you think you are doing!" A hand darted out and grasped her wrist. Jane squawked. Loki's hand crushed around her arm and she whimpered. Steel eyes flashed down at her. Maybe the peroxide was a mistake. "I may be injured but do not take me for a fool, Foster." He ground out into her face.

"Jane!" Darcy's voice was at the door. And in a split second a blur of dark hair darted across the room and Jane's wrist was free. "I told you he would only be a dick!"

Jane blinked down at the bed, Loki was once again sprawled across the comforter. "You Tased him!" A small part of her wanted to giggle at the thought.

Darcy huffed, "Duh, I did! He could have broken your arm! He is a psycho!"

"It was just a misunderstanding, Darc."

The blurry eyed intern frowned. The words sounded stupid the second they had left Jane's lips. She shouldn't have provoked a wounded and confused Asgardian.

"Right, and him murdering you in your bedroom would have been a misunderstanding."

Jane bit her lip. She knew that Darcy had a point, but she couldn't just toss him off to SHIELD. It would be in her best interest, but she couldn't repay him by giving him a death sentence. Her head started to throb.

"Look Darcy, we know the Taser works well on him. I freaked him out. He's hurt, we can't just..." Jane's voice trailed off, she looked at Darcy. "Just until he's healed."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Fiiiiine, but this stays here," she wiggled the Taser in her hand. "What did you do to piss him off anyway?"

The corners of Jane's mouth twitched up into a smile. "Peroxide."

Darcy's face cracked into a toothy grin. "It's a shame I was asleep for that bit. Maybe he'll be up for round two when he wakes up."

Jane laughed out loud this time. "I should take advantage of the peace and quiet, could you start a pot of coffee?" Darcy nodded, tossed the Taser on the bed and tromped off to the kitchen. With the room finally still, Jane turned back to the dazed man. Darcy had managed to zap him in the neck. Unsure of how much time she had, Jane set to cleaning the battered spot on Loki's chest. She knew she didn't want to be in the room when he came to. There were other things to worry about today besides spending the morning fighting. Like Ian. She had forgotten about him. "Oh geez..."

The thumping in her head got worse. Today would be a long day.

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><p><p>

**A/N: **As always please let me know what you think! I had a difficult time with this chapter for some reason.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Alrighty! Next chapter! Its a tad short but I hope you all enjoy it.

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><p><strong>SHADOWPLAY<strong>

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><p>Loki groaned. What in Hel had happened? His eyelids fluttered open and he tried to force the room into focus. Yellow-orange light, white ceiling, something soft and lumpy under him. Memories flooded back to him. He was in Foster's home and he had been knocked out. Loki looked down, his shirt was off and there was a white bandage taped to his chest. He got to his feet and stretched while the wheels in his head started to turn. The room was cluttered to say the least. There was a desk in the corner nearly buried in papers and books. It looked more like a poor substitute for an actual book case than a place to do work. A large pile of clothes filled another corner of the room, nearly as tall as the bureau next to it. Loki wrinkled his nose. Typical Midgardians. He picked up one of the many folders on the table and began to thumb through it. Now this was interesting. She was a curious Midgardian indeed.<p>

Low feminine voices echoed from beyond the door to the room. He wasn't alone like he had hoped for. Loki flopped the folder he was looking at back on the desk. It was time for a grand appearance.

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><p>Jane and Darcy sat in the living room on Jane's lumpy sofa. Each had a large cup of coffee in their hands. They had both tried to ease the uncomfortable feeling in the apartment. It was difficult to pretend there wasn't an unconscious murderer in the next room. Difficult was an understatement, Jane had decided. She looked down at the Taser on the coffee table, they had a little piece of security here. Darcy was in the middle of telling Jane one of her crazy stories. There was something about a bartender and a fish. Jane tried to nod and smile in all the right places but her mind was on what was in her bedroom. The edge of her coffee cup had just met her lips when she felt a tickle in her mind. Her body tensed, he was awake. She wasn't sure how she could be so sure, but she knew she wasn't wrong. Her head whipped to the left, and there in the hall, was Loki. His face still looked paler than usual and both hands were on either wall for support.<p>

"Jane, what's-oh shit!" Darcy snatched the Taser off the table top.

The coffee cup in Jane's hand nearly spilled as she stood. She set the cup down hard on the cheap coffee table and slowly walked towards the hall. Loki's eyes glinted at her. For the second time today she felt like the lamb walking into the lion's den.

"What did you do to me?" His sharp voice ground out. He straightened his back, letting his arms fall to his sides.

Jane bit her lip, "Well... you were Tased. Electrocuted."

"That's right you were," Darcy glowered. Jane waved a hand at her friend trying to silence her. Now was not the time to try and start another fight.

Loki's face grew hard with annoyance. A mortal had gotten the best of him. He should have known better than to let his guard down, even if it was in the company Thor's pet. Loki's eyes moved back to Jane. "You will explain to me what else has transpired."

"You came through a rift. I can't say quite yet, I haven't gotten to go back and study my readings. But I would say it was a weak point in the Earth's magnetic field. Almost an Einstein-Rosen Bridge but the readings were slightly weaker than last time-"

Loki nodded cutting her off. "One of my back doors. Do you not remember, Foster?" He smirked at her.

Jane stilled, that would make sense. How could she have not remembered? It was probably the same way he had taken her to Svartalfheim.

"Whatever," interrupted Darcy. "What do you want, Loki? And this better be good because I am this close to calling SHIELD."

"How hospitable of you," Loki sneered at Darcy. His eyes still glued to Jane. Jane felt like squirming under his gaze. It was as if he was staring into her soul, reading everything about her. "I woke up on Svartalfheim, alone. I had passed out from blood loss thanks to the care given to me by both you and my lovely brother. I was able to find my way back to the craft we had arrived on and ended up on this forsaken planet."

Jane looked at the floor. She had thought he was dead, if she had known he was alive... Would she have brought him back with her? The dull ache in her head began to grow. Now was not the time for the 'what-ifs'. She straightened herself and looked boldly up at him. "You need to sit down. You have taken quite a beating." She heard Darcy snicker behind her.

She motioned for him to sit and his eyes hardened. Instead of moving to the sofa he opted for one of the rickety chairs in the kitchen. "Here's the deal, Loki. You can stay until you're all healed up, but after that you need to go. We will call SHIELD if you do anything-"

"If you do anything evil," Darcy interjected.

Jane frowned, "Just don't start trouble."

Loki pursed his lips. "How do you know that I won't just kill you, Ms. Foster?"

Jane swallowed hard, she saw Darcy move forward with the Taser in her hand. "I would already be dead. Besides you have no where else to go. You wouldn't burn the last bridge you have."

He clenched his jaw, she was more perceptive than he gave her credit for. Jane saw the slight change in his posture, she was right. "One would hardly call this a bridge, Foster." She frowned.

"Thor never complained about it."

Loki's eyes flashed. "Ah yes, Thor. Always so honorable and humble. Your purpose must have been served, because he saw no point in returning."

Jane bit the inside of her cheek. She turned sharply to Darcy. "Darcy, you should go check on Ian. Print out some signs to keep people away from the thing that crashed. We will deal with it tonight."

"Like hell I'm leaving you here!" Darcy all but yelled.

"Darcy, that needs to be taken care of. Leave the Taser here, I can handle it." Darcy frowned, but decided against arguing with her friend.

"Okay, okay. If you say so. Just be here when I get back, alright?" The intern gave Loki a warning look before getting ready to go.

The muscles in Jane's shoulders relaxed. She could handle this, for the most part Loki was behaving. Jane glanced at the man sitting on her chair. He looked a little rough around the edges, as rough as a prince could look anyway. He sat up straight with his head tilted back so that he looked down his nose at the two women before him. He wouldn't give up the one safe house he had, Jane thought. At least that's what she hoped.

Darcy said a quick goodbye but not before she shoved the Taser into Jane's hand. Jane waved as the intern shut the door behind her. She could feel Loki staring at the back of her head and she shivered.

"Would you like something to eat?" Jane turned around and walked towards the kitchen without looking back at Loki.

"Water."

It wasn't a question, it was a demand. A demand wrapped in a neutral sounding voice. Jane opened the cabinet to the left of the sink to retrieve a glass and filled it with tap water. Eyes boring into her back all the while. She set it on the small table in front of him and took a seat opposite him. At the very least there would be a table between them. Loki didn't make a move to take a sip. She should have expected him to try and push buttons.

Jane studied the dings and nicks in the top of her second hand table. There were a million questions she wanted to ask, but this wasn't Thor. There was no familiarity here. Asking why he was in her dreams could be misconstrued as something wildly inappropriate. How did that line go from Shakespeare? "''Tis best to weigh the enemy more mighty than he seems." She might owe him a debt, but she knew better than to completely trust him. And to trust the answers he could give her. So she sat in silence, trying to ignore the feeling of being studied.

"You have changed, Foster."

The smooth sound of his voice made her jump. She looked up at him and gave him a confused look. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, come now. Do not lie to the master of deceit."

The dreams. She had been feeling different since she had collapsed in the lab. Maybe it was all the sleeping she had done on the floor. The wheels in her head started turning as she searched for answers.

Loki leaned forward in his chair, his face covered in a toothy grin. "You look less weak than when I last saw you. And much more... aware."

Jane swallowed hard. What was he getting on about? He looked like a cat that had cornered the mouse. The cat that had cornered the mouse and was playing with it for sport. Of course she was different. Watching people die, watching the world as she knew it almost come to an end.

"Yeah, I've changed. After the Convergence I knew I wouldn't be the same person emotionally." Her voice was soft. And that was the truth.

He leaned back into the chair but the terrible grin stayed on his face. "Deeper than that, Foster. I know you have felt it. I can see the mark that has been left."

"Of course there is a mark. I saw you die. I almost died." Your mother died because of me. She didn't dare say the words aloud. It was almost to much to bear with her son in the room.

He ran his tongue over his teeth. Loki loved this cat and mouse game. It was irritating that she couldn't see what was right in front of her. And just minutes ago he was thinking she was bright for a Midgardian. He could easily give her the answer, but this was much more entertaining.

"Tell me about your dreams, Foster." His toothy smile grew even larger and his eyes flashed. Jane sat dead still. Shock and horror written across her petite features. He had her now.

"How do you... unless..." The look of horror on her face grew. Jane sputtered. "It was you. The Aether..." The Aether.

Loki was leaning forward over the table, palms pressed flat against the surface. "Yes, the Aether. One of the most powerful things in the nine realms. It's amazing that you survived for being a mortal."

"You were helping me in my dreams," Jane's eyebrows were knit together. "You helped me wake up in the lab after..."

Jane felt the blood rush from her face and her jaw go slack. It was a miracle she had survived somethingn so powerful. And to play host to something that had the capability to alter the universe. There had to be consequences. Mortals were not meant to carry such a force. Jane's head began to pound, the threads in her mind began to pull. Loki's face smirked at her, and she felt her stomach churn.

"Water?" Loki's long hand slid the glass in front of him across the table to her. Shakily, she took the glass and took a gulp. He had planned this all a long. The realization slapped her in the face, and her hand gripped the glass tighter.

"What happened to me?" Jane carefully set the glass on the table. She didn't dare look up him. If she saw that cruel smile she might throw up.

There was a low rumble from his chest. It could have almost been a chuckle if he had let it escape. "Ah, now that is the question. What indeed, Jane Foster."

Jane didn't have to look up to know the look on his face. Her stomach dropped. What indeed. That was the question of the hour.

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><p><strong>AN: **As always, let me know what you think! :)


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